Automated satellite solar module production ramps up in New York

New Mexico-based mPower Technology has started automated, high-volume production of its space-grade solar modules in New York, the company announced Nov. 11 as it ramps up to meet demand from satellite constellations.

“Typically, it’s a very manual process,” mPower CEO Kevin Hell said in an interview, “very high-touch labor, very expensive — and it hasn’t been automated to date.”

The company’s modules are manufactured using commercial off-the-shelf silicon-based processes and equipment, which Hell said makes them more customizable and less expensive to produce than traditional solar hardware made with gallium arsenide semiconductor material.

Contract manufacturer Universal Instruments has ramped up automated production to an annual capacity of 1 megawatt since initial validation runs began this summer at its Conklin, New York, facility. Hell said the company is set to double output with an additional production line by mid-2026.